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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. season — of the year
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — boats
  5. band — a ring
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. season — in sport
  11. chip — for betting
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. band — a music group
  24. chip — in a computer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com